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Accounting representative education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an accounting representative. Accounting representatives usually study business, accounting, or health care administration. 46% of accounting representatives hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,078 real accounting representative resumes to see exactly what accounting representative education sections show.

The most common colleges for accounting representatives are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online accounting representative courses to help get the education required to be an accounting representative.

There are certain accounting representative certifications that you should consider. These accounting representative certifications include International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA) and Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM).

What education do you need to become an accounting representative?

What degree do you need to be an accounting representative?

The most common degree for accounting representatives is bachelor's degree, with 46% of accounting representatives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 28% and associate degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 46%
  • Associate, 28%
  • High School Diploma, 12%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become an accounting representative?

You should major in business to become an accounting representative. 33% of accounting representatives major in business. Other common majors for an accounting representative include accounting and health care administration.

Most common colleges for accounting representatives

Accounting representatives often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and Monroe College. Here are the most common colleges for accounting representatives in the US based on their resumes.
Accounting representative common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix22.73%
Strayer University5.68%
Monroe College5.11%
Temple University5.11%
University of California - Davis5.11%

Best majors for accounting representatives

RankMajorPercentages
1Business33.0%
2Accounting25.6%
3Health Care Administration6.1%
4Finance4.5%
5General Studies3.8%

Best colleges for accounting representatives

The best colleges for accounting representatives are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

An accounting representative with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for accounting representatives. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become accounting representatives.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for accounting representatives

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Top 10 most affordable universities for accounting representatives

The most affordable schools for accounting representatives are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for accounting representatives are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for accounting representatives.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

10. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for accounting representatives

The hardest universities for accounting representatives to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for accounting representatives are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for accounting representatives based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for accounting representatives

The easiest schools for accounting representatives to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an accounting representative without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for accounting representatives.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average accounting representative salary by education level

According to our data, accounting representatives with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $46,878 annually. Accounting representatives with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $46,123.
Accounting representative education levelAccounting representative salary
Master's Degree$46,123
High School Diploma or Less$45,586
Bachelor's Degree$46,878
Some College/ Associate Degree$45,750

Accounting representative education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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